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29 <br /> <br />A motion was made by Commissioner McKee, seconded by Commissioner Price to <br />approve the remaining items on the consent agenda. <br /> <br />VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> <br />• Discussion and Approval of the Items Removed from the Consent Agenda <br /> <br />f. Triangle Water Supply Partnership Memorandum of Agreement <br />The Board considered entering into a Memorandum of Agreement with Triangle local <br />government jurisdictions and their water supply authorities to create a successor to the Jordan <br />Lake Partnership, to be called the Triangle Water Supply Partnership, a regional water supply <br />planning organization, and authorize the County Manager to sign. <br /> <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said having served on the OWASA board during the drought in <br />2002, he came to realize what a great utility OWASA is, and it did the best job in the state of <br />saving water. He said a few years ago OWASA was using the same amount of water as it did in <br />2000. He said he always thought this was the case because Orange County really did a good <br />job and took it seriously. He said OWASA is a unique jewel of a utility, and he has always been <br />sensitive to what may happen to take power away from local control over OWASA. He said this <br />memorandum has brought up a lot of questions: why change the name and how this new <br />agreement is different from the Jordan Lake partnership; why are Chapel Hill and Carrboro not <br />participants. <br />Howard Fleming, Engineering Storm Water Supervisor, said he has been attending the <br />Jordan Lake Partnership (JLP) meetings for months, and he was in on the formation of this <br />particular agreement. He said the JLP was formed to develop the Triad Regional Water Supply <br />Plan to divide up the water for Jordan Lake, and this has been accomplished. He said this was <br />so successful that the desire of the group was to continue on but with a different mission, and <br />he said this is the outcome of that. He said the main focus was on water infrastructure, so the <br />thought was to reconfigure under a different name. He said Orange County is the last <br />government to sign onto this, and this name has really taken effect already. <br />Howard Fleming said the large projects on page 32 are envisioned to be the main thrust <br />of the group. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said this does not sound like anything new; there has always <br />been a collaborative approach. <br />Howard Fleming said yes, since the droughts in 2007/8. He said modeling how that <br />works, and coming up with a trading and communication framework which has not been well <br />prepared and is still being refined. He said Orange County is not a water purveyor, per se, but <br />he thinks the BOCC will want to support such efforts between all the different purveyors and <br />governments in the area to provide reliability and sustainability to the system. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos recognized that OWASA has agreed to it. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said he had a strong desire to raise the issue of autonomy, <br />and to be alert for such phrases as, “water resources are a regional asset.” <br />Commissioner Jacobs said if Commissioner Marcoplos needs more time to examine this <br />agreement, he would suggest deferring this item for one meeting. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos asked if there are differences between the two partnerships. <br />Howard Fleming said the JLP will cease to exist, and it is a new name with a different <br />focus. He said the focus of the JLP was the water supply percentages, which continues to be a <br />piece of the new partnership, as it has to be reviewed every 5 years. <br />Commissioner Marcoplos said he will agree to move forward on this. <br />Commissioner Price asked if Johnston and Harnett are new entities to the partnership. <br />Howard Fleming said yes.